War reporter Barbara Schiavulli awarded Buk 2017 Prize

16/02/2017

Journalist emphasizes importance of reporting, critical thinking

Rome, February 16 - Italian war reporter Barbara
Schiavulli is being honored with the Special Prize at the 2017
Modena 'Buk' Book Festival, which will be held February 18 and
19 at the city's Foro Boario conference centre.
She told ANSA that despite the fact that nowadays telling the
difference between real news and fake news is increasingly more
difficult, it's also more necessary.
The 'Premio Speciale Buk 2017' prize is being given to
Schiavulli in recognition of "the effort that for many years has
brought together the qualities of war reporting with the ability
to tell stories from the front lines through the pages of a
book".
Schiavulli, who has reported from the front lines of many of
the most significant war zones over the past 20 years, is the
author of the Italian graphic novel 'Bulletproof Diaries -
Stories from a war reporter' published by Round Robin with
illustrations by Emilio Lecce.
She is also the co-founder of the web radio station 'Radio
Bullets'.
"This prize is important because it's a recognition of our
web radio station, which was founded two years ago," she said.
"The skill of those who do this work and the pride of those
who want to do it well is that you must take a bit more time to
dive deeper into the news. You have to decide what you prefer:
whether you want to be an assurance for the reader, or instead
give information quickly but risk it being wrong. As a reader as
well, I prefer to be sure of what I'm reading".
Schiavulli said that nowadays there's a marked difference
between journalism and information.
"Anyone can produce information, while a journalist is a
professional who evaluates, investigates, researches and gives
you something that's verified and correct," she said.
She said journalism is currently in a transition phase in
which it's hitting rock bottom.
"It all has to be renewed, starting with people's minds.
Journalism needs to rethink itself and go back to the role
that's expected of it in society, that of a watchdog over
power".
She said young people must be educated about how they consume
the news.
"We have to educate young people to know that they can find
everything and the opposite of everything, and that they can be
manipulated," she said.
"We have to teach young people to think critically and that
one needs to see and hear in order to tell".
photo: Schiavulli in Baghdad in 2005